Published: Friday, March 22, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 7:54 p.m.

On a Monday afternoon, the Rev. Donald O'Dell rummaged through his pastor's study,

perhaps for the last time.

He sifted through old bulletins, flipped through documents in a file cabinet and even took the 200-year-old Bible from its resting place on a glass-enclosed shelf — the Bible from the original Pacolet Presbyterian Church, which formed in 1751.

It was nearly six days before the church would close its doors for good, and as the 82-year-old pastor reflected on memories in his small, seldom used office, he thought: What's going to happen to this stuff?

His wife, Carolyn, standing in the doorway, shivered from the cold; the small, brick church can only afford to run its heater on Sundays during service.

“Let's go, Don,” she said. “It's getting cold in here.”

As he continued to shuffle around, she added: “He doesn't want to leave.”

O'Dell, who has been pastor of the church for 17 years, will preach his last sermon this weekend at Pacolet Presbyterian Church, on Palm Sunday. When he's done and the last member leaves, the wooden doors will close for good.

“This is hard,” O'Dell said. “It's sad, but it has to be done.”

Out front, a marquee sign outlined in brick implores passersby to “Worship With Us.”

But over the years, fewer and fewer have.

There were between 45 and 60 members in 1996, when O'Dell became pastor. Now, every Sunday, in a sanctuary that seats about 100 people, only six show up for worship, including the pastor's wife. The Sunday school classrooms and the fellowship hall, which extend behind the sanctuary, aren't used anymore.

The ceiling in the fellowship hall has considerable leak damage, but the church doesn't have the money to fix it.

“What's the use?” asked Jean Bracken, 90, a member of the church for more than 30 years who also serves as its treasurer and custodian.

Elston Gray, 92, has been a member there for more than 60 years. He has gathered a lot of memories over the years and thinks of the church as a family.

“My son got married here,” he said. “Once you get settled into a church, it becomes like a family. I don't know where I will go” once it closes, he said.

He said that once Pacolet Mill and Pacolet High School closed, membership of the Presbyterian church took a big hit, as many of the Presbyterians gradually moved elsewhere.

“We have been considering closing for about 10 years now,” he said, seated in a pew in the sanctuary. “There's just no reason to keep it going.”

Pacolet Presbyterian Church formed in 1751 as a brush arbor between Jonesville and Pacolet. The original church building, a small, single sanctuary with white wood paneling, was constructed in 1883. Members broke ground on the current church in 1972.

Dr. George Wilkes, executive clerk of the Foothills Presbytery, regional division of the Presbyterian (USA) that oversees about 40 churches in five counties, said that while the congregation of Pacolet Presbyterian has been small, its members have been devoted to God for many years.

“They have been faithfully led by the Rev. Don O'Dell, who preached the gospel and cared for the people of the church with love and grace,” he said.

For the last service, church members expect to have more than the normal six in the pews.

Gray said he has invited at least 30 former congregants to come back one last time.

“We hope it will be like a homecoming,” Gray said.

The congregation will observe communion, and O'Dell will preach his last sermon — about Jesus letting his disciples go and sending them out into the world.

Once the church closes, Bracken says she probably won't drive a long distance to attend another Presbyterian church. She probably will just stay home and enjoy more time on her eight acres of land.

O'Dell looks forward to “a little time off to rest and relax.”

The Foothills Presbytery will elect a commission at its April meeting to officially close the church. The commission will act on behalf of the presbytery in making a determination of how the sanctuary building and church property and all of the furniture inside will be used or sold.

Back in the pastor's study on a recent Monday, the Rev. Don and Carolyn O'Dell, Gray and Bracken looked over two early 19th-century communion pieces that are kept in a memorabilia shelf below the old Bible.

“We will see if the Pacolet museum wants to take this stuff,” Carolyn O'Dell said. That's the only way people in the future will know Pacolet had a Presbyterian church.”

For the rest of the furniture and antiques — the podium, the chairs on the stage in the sanctuary, file cabinets, a collection of old hymns — they don't know where it might go or how it will be used.

“The presbytery will take care of all of this,” Carolyn said. “This little church has such an ambiance about it, and we are going to miss it.”

<p>On a Monday afternoon, the Rev. Donald O'Dell rummaged through his pastor's study,</p><p>perhaps for the last time.</p><p>He sifted through old bulletins, flipped through documents in a file cabinet and even took the 200-year-old Bible from its resting place on a glass-enclosed shelf — the Bible from the original Pacolet Presbyterian Church, which formed in 1751.</p><p>It was nearly six days before the church would close its doors for good, and as the 82-year-old pastor reflected on memories in his small, seldom used office, he thought: What's going to happen to this stuff?</p><p>His wife, Carolyn, standing in the doorway, shivered from the cold; the small, brick church can only afford to run its heater on Sundays during service.</p><p>“Let's go, Don,” she said. “It's getting cold in here.”</p><p>As he continued to shuffle around, she added: “He doesn't want to leave.”</p><p>O'Dell, who has been pastor of the church for 17 years, will preach his last sermon this weekend at Pacolet Presbyterian Church, on Palm Sunday. When he's done and the last member leaves, the wooden doors will close for good.</p><p>“This is hard,” O'Dell said. “It's sad, but it has to be done.”</p><p>Out front, a marquee sign outlined in brick implores passersby to “Worship With Us.”</p><p>But over the years, fewer and fewer have.</p><p>There were between 45 and 60 members in 1996, when O'Dell became pastor. Now, every Sunday, in a sanctuary that seats about 100 people, only six show up for worship, including the pastor's wife. The Sunday school classrooms and the fellowship hall, which extend behind the sanctuary, aren't used anymore.</p><p>The ceiling in the fellowship hall has considerable leak damage, but the church doesn't have the money to fix it.</p><p>“What's the use?” asked Jean Bracken, 90, a member of the church for more than 30 years who also serves as its treasurer and custodian.</p><p>Elston Gray, 92, has been a member there for more than 60 years. He has gathered a lot of memories over the years and thinks of the church as a family.</p><p>“My son got married here,” he said. “Once you get settled into a church, it becomes like a family. I don't know where I will go” once it closes, he said.</p><p>He said that once Pacolet Mill and Pacolet High School closed, membership of the Presbyterian church took a big hit, as many of the Presbyterians gradually moved elsewhere.</p><p>“We have been considering closing for about 10 years now,” he said, seated in a pew in the sanctuary. “There's just no reason to keep it going.”</p><p>Pacolet Presbyterian Church formed in 1751 as a brush arbor between Jonesville and Pacolet. The original church building, a small, single sanctuary with white wood paneling, was constructed in 1883. Members broke ground on the current church in 1972.</p><p>Dr. George Wilkes, executive clerk of the Foothills Presbytery, regional division of the Presbyterian (USA) that oversees about 40 churches in five counties, said that while the congregation of Pacolet Presbyterian has been small, its members have been devoted to God for many years.</p><p>“They have been faithfully led by the Rev. Don O'Dell, who preached the gospel and cared for the people of the church with love and grace,” he said.</p><p>For the last service, church members expect to have more than the normal six in the pews.</p><p>Gray said he has invited at least 30 former congregants to come back one last time.</p><p>“We hope it will be like a homecoming,” Gray said.</p><p>The congregation will observe communion, and O'Dell will preach his last sermon — about Jesus letting his disciples go and sending them out into the world.</p><p>Once the church closes, Bracken says she probably won't drive a long distance to attend another Presbyterian church. She probably will just stay home and enjoy more time on her eight acres of land.</p><p>O'Dell looks forward to “a little time off to rest and relax.”</p><p>The Foothills Presbytery will elect a commission at its April meeting to officially close the church. The commission will act on behalf of the presbytery in making a determination of how the sanctuary building and church property and all of the furniture inside will be used or sold.</p><p>Back in the pastor's study on a recent Monday, the Rev. Don and Carolyn O'Dell, Gray and Bracken looked over two early 19th-century communion pieces that are kept in a memorabilia shelf below the old Bible.</p><p>“We will see if the Pacolet museum wants to take this stuff,” Carolyn O'Dell said. That's the only way people in the future will know Pacolet had a Presbyterian church.”</p><p>For the rest of the furniture and antiques — the podium, the chairs on the stage in the sanctuary, file cabinets, a collection of old hymns — they don't know where it might go or how it will be used.</p><p>“The presbytery will take care of all of this,” Carolyn said. “This little church has such an ambiance about it, and we are going to miss it.”</p>